Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Sacha Baron Cohen Nominated for Kazakh Award

British funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen has been nominated for a national award in Kazakhstan, despite lampooning the country in his latest movie. Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan was slammed by the central Asian state on it release earlier this year for portraying the country as ridden with superstition, incest, political suppression and religious intolerance. But Kazakh novelist Sapabek Asip-uly has called on his nation's Club of Art Patrons to give Cohen its annual award, according to a letter published by the Vremya newspaper. He says, "(Borat) has managed to spark an immense interest of the whole world in Kazakhstan - something our authorities could not do during the years of independence. If state officials completely lack a sense of humor, their country becomes a laughing stock." Earlier this week Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev added his support to the movie, insisting bumbling reporter Borat has raised Kazakhstan's profile around the world.

Wow. It's good to see some people have a sense of humor...unlike some of the humorless journalists who are now ripping the film apart stateside. Kudos to the Kazakhs.